I truly am Robert De Niro

[eddyramrod]

How is this possible, I hear you ask? Bear with me...

My Granada has been "in for surgery" for a few weeks now, getting ready for MoT so that it can then be registered. Meanwhile I've been commuting (a whole four miles each way) in my Metro van, which has been quite unkind to my back. No, let's be honest here, the ride is bloody awful, something must be badly wrong. In fact lots of things are wrong, many of them getting worse. Daily service in an English winter, after an 11-year layup, obviously isn't doing it any good. So last night (why can't I have my bright ideas in daylight?) I decided to rest it, which meant buying a temporary replacement car. I've done the same sort of thing before, so it shouldn't be a problem. As usual, my budget was a pint of milk and a Mars bar.

Of course Scrappage, and the price of scrap, have conspired to raise the price of rock-bottom cars. I was quickly forced to extend my budget, by at least a three-pack of Peppermint Aero.

Today after work, I set about building a network of contacts (of course I know hardly anyone in this town!) who might be able to find such a car. I went on a wild-goose-chase for a Fiat Punto (garage closed), sat in a Renault Scenic (no MoT) and a 306D estate (too expensive, and no tax) and broke for lunch. After that I headed into town from a different direction (on foot mind; Barrow is compact enough to do that) and tried to remember where the used-car lots were. One had nothing under a monkey, which was no good to me. Then down by the docks I struck gold. Or perhaps emerald!

"Can I help you sir?"

"I hope so, I'm looking for the cheapest, most embarrassing part-ex you've got, one you really want rid of, with a bit of tax and test, doesn't need much."

Cue sucking of teeth.

"Well the only one I've got really is that there, by the gate, came in today. Got quite a bit of MoT on it, and about seventy quids' worth of tax."

And there, by the gate, is a vision in green.

"I'd like to look at that in more detail."

"Sure, let me get the keys."

So I poked and prodded, watched and listened, and took it out for a little drive.

"Yeah, this'll do, let's do the deal."

So we did the deal. For the vast sum of three hundred English pounds, I am now the owner of this magnificent beast:

1996 on a P, and it's a 2.0 GLX petrol. Considering I've only done about two miles in it, it does seem to drive ok, well enough to get me to work in the mornings at least, which is all I really want it to do. Have a couple more snaps:

Yes, even a towbar! Unfortunately FWD (hard to avoid these days) and manual (hard to avoid at this price bracket) but you can't have everything. Most of the goodies I've tried seem to work, but I'm sure I haven't tested everything yet. Oh and I do have a mate with a 520...

 

I am Robert De Niro!

[Spiny Norman]

Can't grumble with that for 300 bucks, well done.

[254575]

OMG are you me?

 

2 weeks ago I picked up a 1996 406 GLX for 300 quid to smoke about in.

 

I had to use my l33t soldering skills to repair the backlight on the clock/radio, but apart from that its gr9.

 

Does it have one of those funky keypad immobilisers?

[Mr Lobster]

That looks pretty good for the money!

[eddyramrod]

OMG are you me?

 

2 weeks ago I picked up a 1996 406 GLX for 300 quid to smoke about in.

 

I had to use my l33t soldering skills to repair the backlight on the clock/radio, but apart from that its gr9.

 

Does it have one of those funky keypad immobilisers?

 

1: Apparently so!

2: It has a non-original radio/CD player, but that seems to work so I'm not worrying.

3: Don't think so, or at least, I haven't found it yet.

 

Anyone got a spare Haynes for this, before I start trawling ebay?

[phil_lihp]

One of my work mates had an identical one of these with the diseseal engine back in 2005, it was in pretty rough condition and he was just waiting for it to finally die so he could get rid. I haven't seen him since but found out by accident the other day that he still has it and was celebrating it hitting 200,000 miles. Probably the last good-looking Peugeot for many years and nice interiors too, well bought!

[Lord Sterling]

Looks pretty sweet for £300. The 'LF' on the plate indicates that it was first registered in Wimbledon, London.

[vulgalour]

Top buy, Mr Ramrod. It's good to know there are still some cheap cars to be had these days, if you're willing to compromise a lot.

[scaryoldcortina]

I'm fairly sure I have a surplus haynes manual for that in the garage. I'll check tomorrow.

[r.welfare]

Good cars those early 406s, the petrol lumps are pretty sturdy too. I think you did well for £300. I spy no electric roof - does it have a/c? I always smile when I see one that shade of green, I'm amazed Peugeot had it on the colour chart as they seemed flat and dull even when factory fresh!

[eddyramrod]

That would be most appreciated, Scary, ta ever so. PM approacheth, open the gate!

Also, thanks chaps for the encouraging words. I'm feeling a bit better about the enforced penury that follows, as if there wasn't any already.

 

No sunroof, that's correct, so I guess being a high-spec model that will mean aircon. Told you I hadn't worked out what I've got yet!

[ashmicro]

Nice one, that looks pretty good.

[hairnet]

taxi driver??

[stuboy]

300 notes... bargain

[240gl]

A friend of mine used to have a 7 seater auto in the same colour R713 JUM. The auto gearbox was rebuilt by Peugeot 3 times in 2 years. She got rid of it 6 years ago when it died for the 4th time. DVLA says it was still alive until 5 weeks ago which was a bit of a shock.

[406V6]

If you want to do the Ronin car chase properly you need the V6. One of the great car chases of recent years - link to the video

. The Peugeot wins, by the way.

[Cavcraft]

Hey, that's great VFM, Eddie, nice one! It's also the best colour too, you cannot fail with that!

[cms206]

On the subject of Haynes manuals, I find that the place to look is Amazon... most are available second hand for the princely sum of 1p (plus £2.80 postage normally) and arrive within a few days, all with the added bonus of no ebay mongs.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/185960983X/ref=sr_1_1_up_1_main_olp?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357480616&sr=1-1&condition=used

[trigger]

I bought one for my Cortina of Amazon, it cost under £3 and arrived in perfect condition, WOULD USE AGAIN +++++

[John F]

Is there a 20p jamming the handbrake cable?

[scaryoldcortina]

Haynes manuals checked on - I found books for 504, 305, 205, 309 and 405. The one I thought was 406 is a second copy of the 405 manual with the updated style cover. Sorry!

[carlo]

The lovely Nordic Green! When I sold Peugeots to fleets in the nineties there was a customer who would only take non-metallic 406s, so we had loads and loads of GLXs/Executives going out in white, red and this quite revolting green.

 

Great, comfortable cars for the money now, and should be pretty reliable in manual form. Just need a decent set of front seats and a bit more poke, even the 2 litres were fairly gutless.

[Quintus]

A fine purchase, especially at that price. They're really quite handsome things.

[eddyramrod]

Thank you chaps, and especially Carlo for identifying the colour for me. I do rather like it. As for handsome? Yes, I think this generation of Peugeots (206/306/406) was the last set of good-looking cars they made. I think the 406, being quite long, looks almost elegant. It's probably about the same size on the road as my Granada!

 

Scary, thanks for looking, I'll get one somewhere... might have a trawl round the charity shops...

[RoadworkUK]

Re 406 Car chases....

 

......I prefer this one.

http://

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsithITSQVo

[CortinaDave]

Rock bottom motoring FTW. That's a cracking buy at 300 notes. I bought an HDi last year for similar money that had been smacked in the face and bodged back together with a hammer and an odd coloured bonnet. Airbags had gone off so the dash was like a burst couch and another mot was out of the question but I drove it hundreds of miles every week until I broke it by sliding on ice intoa ditch which knackered the steering. Weighed it in at 220 quid and walked away. No complaints whatsoever

[Lord Sterling]

Re 406 Car chases....

 

......I prefer this one.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsithITSQVo

 

Ah yes, the original 'Taxi' film, coolest car chase. I first watched this when I was back in Belgium years ago when I was about 14 or something. They did some crap American remake a few years ago.

 

There used to be a taxi bloke in Halesowen who drove a modded up White Peugeot 406, almost certainly inspired by the original film.

[ruffgeezer]

Airbags had gone off so the dash was like a burst couch...

 

I think I saw her on a night out in Skeg once, was her name Shazza, with a face like a trod in kebab?

[eddyramrod]

Well I've now been driving this almost two weeks, and I have to say, it's rather nice! I've always had old cheap cars, and I suppose I've got used to driving cars with niggly faults that you learn to live with, or with built-in draughts, all the stuff they used to have. I've driven new cars too, as rentals or company vehicles, but somehow it failed to occur to me that these things would one day be the old bangers I would be driving. Well now they are, a 1996 car is now 17 years old and generally worthless... enter Edward, stage left! Now the cars I can afford are smooth, powerful and comfortable, if they're mostly like this. It's come as quite a surprise, although perhaps it shouldn't. It probably helps that the one I've bought is a 2.0 GLX and not a base-level diesel with a million miles up! I can imagine that being a different experience.

 

I'm also quietly, and surprisingly, enjoying the anonymity of a dark-coloured family saloon.... I can see why Inspector Barnaby drives that sort of thing now.

[eddyramrod]

OMG are you me?

Does it have one of those funky keypad immobilisers?

 

Don't think so, or at least, I haven't found it yet.

 

Scratch that, I found a flip-down keypad in the dash the other day. No idea what it does but it could easily be this immobiliser thing. I wonder if I have a code for it somewhere?